Just Give Up
by Drakojana
Summary: The best way to make somebody listen is to use their biggest fear and break their spirit. But what if that person refuses to give up? Kristoph isn't going to just let Apollo go.


"What is your biggest fear, Justice?"

Apollo woke up in a dark room. He could barely see, but he could sense that the chamber was rather small. When he squinted his eyes he could make out the corners in the darkness. But no doors or windows were in sight. The air was stifling, an unpleasant stench could be smelt around the room. There was nothing in there, save for a single chair which Apollo was tied to. A rope was tied tightly around his wrists, leaving red marks on his skin. His hands were tied so close he couldn't nearly feel his fingers, let alone move them. Similiar thing was done to his ankles - each of his legs was tied to one of the chair's. It had hurt for the first two days, but now Apollo got used to the pain.

He hung his head loosely, tired from the lack of sleep and hunger. He still didn't want to answer the question he'd heard every single day, every single hour.

"Still being uncooperative, are we?"

The person staning behind Apollo said in a calm manner, like they always used to. They were slowly walking around the room, with their hands behind their back. Without any light in the room their face wasn't visible, but Apollo didn't need to look at it to know the person was smiling. He kept looking at the floor, clenching his teeth. Five days of torture may have weakened his body, but his mind had no intention of giving up. Apollo knew that as long as he'd keep thinking about that one thing, that one person close to him, he'd get through any kind of pain.

His thoughts were ocassionally interrupted by the person asking him questions. Just as now, when they kicked Apollo in the stomach.

"You're stubborn. But soon you'll break."

Apollo coughed, spitting out blood. The metallic taste in his mouth was the only thing he'd felt for the past days. Not that he cared anymore. He was too hungry to complain and too thirsty to keep himself from swallowing any kind of liquid. The hit in the stomach sent another wave of pain across his already weak body, so Apollo started panting, trying to relieve himself.

For the hundredth time he pulled his shoulders forward, hoping that it would loosen the rope around his wrists. But no matter how many times he tried, it never worked.

"When will you learn to listen when you're spoken to?"

The person stopped behind Apollo, grabbing his hair and pulling his head towards them. The quick movement caused something in Apollo's neck to crack. He shut his eyes, when his head started to hurt where his hair was being pulled. The person noticed Apollo's pained expression and chuckled.

"Do you honestly think you can toy with me, Justice? That you can ignore me?"

The person pulled something out from a pocket and Apollo heard a quiet sound.

A switchblade.

It didn't take long before the knife was put next to his neck.

"Now, tell me. What keeps you sane here?"

Apollo's breathing quickened. The cold metal pressed against his bare skin sent shivers down his spine. The person had used only physical violence like kicking or punching before, but threatening with weapons was new. But that was still not enough for Apollo's spirit to break.

Every single minute he spent locked up in that room, Apollo kept occupying his mind with peaceful, calming thoughts. He was putting all of his willpower not to panic, he wanted to think that there was somebody on their way to rescue him already. Surely, all his friends, his family… They all must have noticed he went missing. All he had to do at that moment was to just get through that torture and not give up.

That's why when the person pressed the knife harder, to the point where it slowly cut through Apollo's skin, he whispered:

"Knowing you'll rot in a fucking jail, Kristoph Gavin."

The man stopped pressing the blade against Apollo's neck, letting the small cut bleed.

"You're finally talking, aren't you?" he let go of Apollo's hair and moved quietly to his side, still looking at him from above. "I told you I would make you talk."

Apollo opened his tired eyes, and looked at Kristoph with a confident look.

"Hah, if it's insults you want, you should have told me. I could talk about your disguisting face for hours and I'd still not find words to describe how fucked up you a-"

Apollo got interrupted by a quick punch to his face.

"I have kept you here for five days. And despite starvation, sleeplessness, and numerous injuries you oppose me harder than you did the very first day," Kristoph said, trying to maintain his composure, though there was a hint of annoyance in his voice. Apollo detected it, but decided not to respond for now. After he got hit again, he let his head hang loosely again on his right shoulder. However, Kristoph wasn't going to let him. He grabbed Apollo's face, sinking his nails in the man's cheeks and pulled his head towards him again.

"You should have kept quiet, and maybe I would have left you alone. But now I know you're willing to talk, and I'm not going to accept silence as an answer."

Apollo put all of his strength into giving Kristoph look as furious as he could make. He didn't start speaking out of exhaustion, he just lose hope he would be left in peace. That's why he decided to talk to annoy the other man.

"You've always been fiesty, Justice. But spare me those looks, you look pitiful."

Gavin reached for something else. When he showed his victim another thing, Apollo twitched a bit.

His bracelet.

Kristoph had stripped him off the piece of jewelry the first day. It had been taken off with such a force its edges ripped the skin from Apollo's hand. It still had traces of blood on the inside.

"I wonder, does this have anything to do with your stubbornness?" Gavin smiled ominously, seeing Apollo's eyes widen at the sight of the bracelet.

"Y-you're not getting anything out of me," Apollo breathed.

"I'll be the judge of that," Kristoph leaned in, placing the bracelet right in front of Apollo's eyes. "Where did you get it?"

Apollo tried to look away, knowing that the more he'd stare at his possesion, the more his eyes could betray him. Yet Kristoph's grip on his face was too strong, and the man kept pulling Apollo to keep his eyes on the bracelet. Gavin's nails were sinking in more and more, and soon they cut through the skin.

"I asked a question. Answer. Now," the irritation in Kristoph's voice seemed to get bigger. Apollo decided to take his chance.

"Or what? You'll kill me?" he spat out. When he noticed Kristoph's eye twitch, he knew he hit the nail on the head. Gavin let him go, throwing Apollo's head towards the back of the chair. He walked away for a moment, trying to remain calm, but the anger was slowly getting the better of him. Apollo chuckled, thinking what kind of madness he got himself into.

When Kristoph heard his victim laugh, he snapped, punching Apollo's face again.

"So it's funny to you? You really think you're the one playing the game here? You're wrong!" he hit Apollo again. Then he grabbed his neck with both of his hands. "If you want to die here so badly, be my guest. It will be a pleasure for me to get rid of vermin like you."

Apollo didn't expect Gavin to actually kill him. That's why, for the very first time, he felt the true fear. Were he to die there, he wouldn't be able to protect the person closest to him. He didn't want to talk, he knew he shouldn't talk, and yet, being choked to death was slowly weakening his mind.

"Last chance, Justice. What makes you so afraid of death now?" Kristoph whispered into his ear. "It's not about your own life anymore, is it?"

Apollo could barely breathe, let alone speak. He was grasping for air with all the stregth he had left, but the grip on his neck was too hard to let any oxygen through. Soon his vision started to go black.

"Tru… ...c...y… I...I'm… so...rry," was the last sound he made before he passed out.

* * *

a/n: I don't know where I'm going with this, somebody seriously send help before I write more angst

I still have at least 2 more fanfics to finish

I'm so sorry Apollo I love you too much I make you suffer.


End file.
